Below is an excerpt of Bolivian President
Evo Morales’ speech to the UN Climate
Change Conference (“COP 20”) held in
Lima, Peru from December 1 to 14, 2014
. He spoke as Bolivia’s President, but also
on behalf of the “G77+ China” group of
nations, which Bolivia chaired in 2014.
President Morales continued to build
on Bolivia’s important leadership in the
fight to save mother earth. He denounced
the endless cycle of high profile climate
meetings which have accomplished nothing
more than excellent photo opportunities
while the issue of climate change, and
the fundamental question of the survival
of the humanity, goes unanswered. “We
have to get at the fundamental roots of the
problem of climate change. We don’t want
more protocols; we want more structural
solutions, overcoming capitalism, saving
the peoples of the world.... What is the use
of reducing gas and toxic emissions by 1 or
2 degrees if the next generation will end
up baking in suffocating heat?”
This position has been strengthened by
ALBA (the Bolivarian Alliance for the
Peoples of Our America), an coalition of
countries founded by Cuba and Venezuela
in 2004 as a direct alternative to the now
dead FTAA (Free Trade Agreement of
the Americas) the US government was
attempting to shove down the throats of
Latin-America countries. ALBA has
now grown to 13 member nations and
represents an inspiring example of creating
concrete alternatives and
agreements based on
solidarity, cooperation
and social justice.
ALBA and
Morales
also went one better.
The day after the
UN Climate Change
Conference ended in
Lima, ALBA member
states announced in
their meeting’s final
declaration that they
will be organizing
an alternative global
climate summit in 2015.
Morales stated, “Stopping climate change
cannot be left to those who profit from
the destruction of nature. That is why
we the peoples must directly accept our
own responsibility for the continuation
of life and society by taking control of
governments, and using that power
to pressure and force government and
businesses alike to take drastic and
immediate measures to stop us from falling
into this abyss of nature’s destruction.”
These words and actions are important
and necessary for everyone concerned
about the survival of the environment
and humanity, especially in a country
like Canada where the government has
demonstrated no regard for either. On the
issue of self-determination of indigenous
nations, the Canadian government has
also demonstrated time and time again
its disregard and disrespect for these
fundamental rights, as it tries to help
ram resource extraction projects
through despite clear opposition
from indigenous nations.
Recent struggles, such as the
sustained mobilizations on
Burnaby Mountain against
Kinder Morgan, (the largest
“energy infrastructure”
company in North America)’s
attempt to carry out drilling
work with the objective of
building another pipeline, have
shown that environmental issues are once
again becoming “hot button” issues with
broad sections of people . Over 100 people
were arrested during the demonstrations,
only to have those arrests finally thrown
out under public scrutiny and worldwide
media attention.
President Morales talks the talk, walks
the walk, and connects all the dots which
must be connected to understand the cause
and effects of climate change. It is this kind
of analysis and audacity with shows the
way forward. We are neither alarmists
or extremists for pointing out the current
climate crisis and demanding solutions.
The following words are vital to that
international struggle to save, and build,
a better world.
“Sisters and brothers of COP20, we
sometimes debate in this class of
conferences only the effects, and not
the origin, of global warming. We have
had more than 30 years of pretence,
futile negotiations with no result....
Today we find ourselves on the
threshold of the destruction of Mother
Earth, faced with the disappearance
of the human species. The developed
countries of the North, responsible for
the destruction of nature, have brought
us to a barren land to legitimize their
supposed commitment to humanity.
We, the developing countries, have
served as a source of legitimation for a
unilateral and sterile dialogue.
We have served as a pretext for
the powerful to continue doing
the same thing, which has settled
into a simulacrum of dialogue and
deliberation. There is in this entire
staging of environmentalism a
great deal of hypocrisy, racism and
neocolonialism.
Climate change has become once again
the safety valve to avoid discussing
substantive questions like the voracious
model of capitalist development that is
putting an end to humanity.... We are
losing time because the dialogue is not
between equals; it is an unsuccessful
monologue....
We must now say to you, nothing has
changed in those 30 years....
On behalf of my people, I can only say
that we feel betrayed once again faced
with this simulacrum of international
agreements that are never enough. Our
peoples are tired of all this deception,
they are tired of suffering the increase
in temperature, the melting of our
mountain snow caps, of the heavy
rains, the cruel flooding and the
heartbreaking droughts, which each
time make us poorer.
We have to get at the fundamental
roots of the problem of climate change.
We don’t want more protocols; we want
more structural solutions, overcoming
capitalism, saving the peoples of the
world.... What is the use of reducing
gas and toxic emissions by 1 or 2
degrees if the next generation will end
up baking in suffocating heat?
Basically the problem is the supposedly
civilizing model that is based on a
greedy financial architecture in which
wealth is concentrated in the hands of a
few, producing poverty for the majority
of humanity.
I want to tell you, sisters and brothers,
that unless we change the centre of
gravity of all the financial, economic,
political, ecological and social
distortions confronting our century and
the planet, the search for a consensual
agreement will be nothing more than
a chimera.
A second root of the problem of
climate change is the war politics of
the great powers and the huge budget
devoted to it. With only a fifth of the
money spent on the military by the five
major military powers of the world we
would be able to resolve 50 percent of
our environmental problems....
And the third root of climate changehas to do with the exaggerated
industrialization, disproportionate
consumption and pillaging of resources
that could alleviate the major ills
of humanity. The economic model
upholding the financial architecture
and war politics has as its nucleus the
politics of the free market, that is, the
voracious capitalist policy that pays no
attention to anything other than profit,
luxury, and consumerism.... People are
treated as things, and Mother Earth as
a commodity.
Proposals to preserve the Life of
Humanity and of Mother Earth
What are we doing now? Governments
and businesses of the major world
powers responsible for the climate
catastrophe have shown they are unable
to slow down this planetary tragedy that
is jeopardizing humanity and nature as
a whole. Their power and profits are
fueled by the irreparable destruction of
the environment....
Stopping climate change cannot be
left to those who profit from the
destruction of nature. That is why we
the peoples must directly accept our
own responsibility for the continuation
of life and society by taking control
of governments, and using that power
to pressure and force government
and businesses alike to take drastic
and immediate measures to stop us
from falling into this abyss of nature's
destruction.
To defend our life and the existence
of future generations it is absolutely
necessary that the world’s peoples, the
hard-working society suffering daily
the effects of climate change, take
control of states, politics, the economy
and use it to preserve humanity and the
planet....
We have to put the brakes to capitalist
accumulation, the endless accumulation
of commodities. We need another
civilization, another society, another
mentality, other values, another culture
that prioritizes the satisfaction of
human needs, not profit, that believes
in human beings and Mother Nature,
not the “money god.”...
Either we change global capitalist
society or it annihilates the world’s
peoples and nature itself.
The environment is a common heritage
of all the peoples of the world, of the
ancient peoples, of the present peoples
and the peoples who are to come....
The environment is a common
resource.... And that is why it must
be administered by us as a community.
Nature itself is a community, since it
benefits everyone and affects everyone.
Our ancient indigenous peoples knew
this and that is why they lived as a
community. ...
Sisters and brothers, community is the
only way to live in equilibrium with
nature. Community is salvation of the
environment, of life, and accordingly
of human beings. Community is life,
capitalism is death. Community is
harmony with Mother Earth and
capitalism is destruction of Mother
Earth.
Finally, it is really important to consider
how we are to create institutions to
judge those who pollute our planet, who
injure our Mother Earth. Humanity
needs to create an International
Tribunal of Climate Justice, so that
justice may be done.
Sisters and brothers, that in a nutshell
is the experience that the indigenous
peoples provide for the good of all
humanity.
Thank you very much.”
Translation by Richard Fidler
www.lifeonleft.blogspot.com
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